If Only For Tonight
by bloodshadows
Summary: After Jeralt's death Haelin(fByleth) has locked herself in her room. Concerned Hilda sends Claude to check on her. "Please. If only for tonight make me forget the chaos. Make me forget the world until only you and I remain. Make me believe I'm human."


_**A/N- So I got a switch and Fire Emblem Three Houses for Christmas and let me just say that I am obsessed with it. Mainly Claude. Okay definitely Claude. I just love him! Anyways of course I started reading fanfiction. Its an inevitability. Then I started writing. And, well, this is what came out of it. So far this is only a one-shot but I may add some more if I come up with anything else. I hope you all like it! I wrote it in like five hours lol. By the way Haelin is the name I used for my Avatar and so it's the name I'm using for this story. Also I do not own fire emblem or its characters.**_

If Only For Tonight

It had been days since Jeralt's death and funeral. Days since any one had properly seen Haelin. Her students were worried, the archbishop was worried, which in turn made some of her students even more worried but for different reasons.

Claude, in particular, didn't like it one bit. He didn't trust Lady Rhea as far as he could throw her.

"Claude." He looked up at the familiar voice and frowned. Hilda looked so serious standing there on the other side of his table. Whatever she wanted; it couldn't be good.

"Hilda. What are you doing in the library? Going to study for once?" He asked teasingly hoping to derail whatever conversation she was looking to start.

This time, though, it didn't seem as if the rosette was going to take the bait. "You need to do something." She urged one hand on her hip. "About the Professor." She clarified when he opened his mouth to make a sarcastic reply.

His lips pressed together in another frown and he slowly shook his head. "What would you like me to do Hilda? Teach isn't exactly miss social at the best of times." Claude reminded her dryly. "Besides she's grieving. She needs some space."

"Ugh! Typical. Men truly have no clue about women." The rosette muttered under her breath. Placing one hand on the table she leaned forward to glare at him. "She needs to know she's not alone Claude. Of everyone here you are the most likely to make her see that. I'd bet a week of chores the professor is a mess right now."

Claude's frown deepened as he stared at his closest ally. No. At his closest friend. (Despite his best efforts to the contrary.) "Hilda I really don't think-"

"You're the only one she'll take comfort from Claude."

Sighing he stood up and began packing away his books. "Fine. I'll give it a shot but don't be surprised if this doesn't work." He warned slinging his bag over his shoulder.

Hilda just smiled after him as he left the library. As soon as he disappeared around the corner her smile dropped, and she plopped down into a chair. "Oh, Claude…If only you could see what I could see…" The Goneril heiress murmured to herself.

Admittedly she was a self-confessed lazy person and quite selfish to boot. But she wasn't stupid nor was she blind. The professor cared about her students greatly. She went to great lengths to talk to everyone, from all three houses, and somehow make them all feel special in their own way. Despite how little she, herself, showed emotion.

But Claude was different. The professor put in extra effort with him. She showed the archer as much emotion as she could express. Smiling only for him.

And he, in turn, made an effort with her.

There was a connection between the two that Hilda envied and yet would not begrudge them of. She knew Claude's dream of the future. Believed in the New Dawn he wanted to see spread across all of Fodlan. Despite knowing nothing of his past Hilda had pledged her support to his cause. She did know, however, that whatever path Claude took the Professor would play a major role in his plans.

Because of that she was all for whatever connection the two shared. She would do all in her power to keep it that way.

Smiling to herself Hilda got to her feet and went looking for Ignatz. She had an idea and needed his artistic talent to make it happen.

* * *

Claude dropped his bag off in his room and then slowly made his way to Haelin's room. This was a bad idea, he knew. The line between teacher and student had already gotten pretty blurry between them over the last couple of weeks. He had no desire to face the consequences of stepping over it completely.

Not when Lady Rhea and Seteth were so unnaturally interested in the former mercenary. It irked him that he could not uncover the reasons behind their suspicious interest. Aside from her prowess on the battlefield.

Then again did he not have his own suspicious interest in his professor? Did he not hope to use her talents to further his own ambitions? The only difference is that he was mostly upfront with his intentions. Did that make him any better than them though?

Lost in his thoughts Claude was slightly surprised to find himself in front of Haelin's door. Reaching up he knocked lightly on the wood. "Teach?" He called softly knocking again when there was no answer from inside. "Teach please. Open the door." This time he barely caught the sound of movement behind the door. Cloth rustling, silent footsteps…"Open the door Haelin. Let me in."

He had never allowed himself to call her by her name before. Calling her Teach had been the closest to affection he had allowed himself. To constantly remind him of their positions as teacher and student.

Those almost silent footsteps drew closer and if he hadn't been specifically waiting for it he'd have missed the quiet em'snick'/em of the lock turning. The footsteps retreated and he took that as his invitation to enter.

The brass knob turned easily in his hand; the door silent as it swung open. In the fading light of the setting sun his gaze quickly took in the tidiness of the room in contrast to her disheveled form. Closing the door behind him sunk the room in to complete darkness and he deftly locked the door again. He didn't want anyone to barge in on this impropriety.

She was silent as his sharp eyes adjusted to the darkness and roved over what he could see of her. Which was very little. He listened as she moved over to the desk, striking a match, and lighting a candle.

In the dim glow off the flame the tear tracks on her cheeks sparkled and glistened. Involuntarily he took a step forward as she turned to face him. He watched, biting his lip, as another tear fell from her navy-blue eyes. "They won't stop…" She whispered and he could hear the turmoil in her voice that he could clearly see in her eyes. "Why wont they stop?"

For the first time since they met the fearless 'Ashen Demon' looked vulnerable, fragile, and Claude hated it. With out hesitation he moved forward, cupping her face in his hand, and gently wiped away her tears with his thumb. "Shh… It's okay. I'm here for you. Let go Haelin. I've got you." He whispered keeping his gaze steady as her eyes searched his frantically. What she was looking for he didn't know but hoped she found it as more tears welled up in her eyes.

Then they closed and her shoulders shook as she leaned in to him resting her forehead against his chest. His arms moved automatically to wrap around her. One arm circling her back while his other hand slid through her hair to cradle the back of her head.

She made no noise as she cried, and he said nothing as he held her. In a way the entire situation was a sweet form of torture. How often had he dreamt or fantasized of holding the mercenary like this? How often had he imagined feeling her toned and lithe body against his own?

Now here he was with the woman he desired pressed up against him and he felt like a complete scoundrel for even thinking such thoughts. And yet… _'Let me comfort you. Let me make you forget for a while…_' The words bubbled up to his lips and he immediately bit them back.

As much as he deceived and manipulated those around him he was not a total bastard. He would not take advantage of Haelin's emotional state. He would not-

All thought left his head as the bluenette pulled back just enough to look up at him. Tears still welled at the corners of her eyes but those eyes.. Those eyes were pleading, begging him to take her pain away.

"Fuck." He muttered dipping his head and claiming her lips with his own. For a moment he thought he had made a colossal mistake as she went rigid in his arms. But then she melted in to him and he groaned as her soft lips pliantly moved against his own.

His hold on her tightened, fingers tangling in her hair, as her hands came up to grip his biceps. He shivered at the feel of her hands on him as they slid up to his shoulders and tightened.

It wasn't a chaste kiss by any means nor was it hurried or frenzied. He took his time memorizing the feel of her lips on his and the sweet taste of her tongue as he guided her in a dance he knew well. This may be the only time he ever got to have her like this and he was going to savor every moment. Her grip on him tightened, pulling him even closer, but it wasn't close enough.

Reaching down he grabbed her ass and lifted forcing her to wrap her legs around him so she wouldn't fall. She moaned at the feel of him pressed up against her like this. The sound was like sweet music to his ears and Claude definitely wanted to hear more. Carrying her over to the bed he lowered them on to it until he was nestled between her thighs.

He put most of his weight on one arm and the other glided up her side, under her shirt, and caressed the smooth skin beneath.

Haelin gasped in to his mouth and he moved his hand up further, dragging her shirt with it, and traced his thumb over the curve of her breast. She gasped again, pressing up in to his touch, and moaned as her lower body pressed delightedly up in to his. It was Claude's turn to moan and he couldn't stop his automatic reaction of grinding down in to her.

"Oh!" She gasped breaking the kiss to tilt her head back as her body arched up into him. His head fell to her neck and he breathed her in deeply. With Haelin's lips no longer on his own he managed to string a couple of coherent thoughts together.

Lifting himself up on one arm he brought his other hand up to gently caress her cheek as he looked into her eyes. They were wide and glazed with desire and- "Haelin we need to stop." He whispered tracing under her eye with the pad of this thumb making her frown. "I feel like I'm taking advantage and once we go down this road there's no going back." Not for me.

She shifted starting to rise and he moved back to give her some room./p

Ever so slowly her hand came up and her fingers lightly danced along his jaw before cupping his cheek. "Everything around me is a whirlwind of chaos. I'm stuck in the middle of a powerplay that I don't understand." She said quietly holding his gaze captive with her own. "But you…You're the calm among the storm. The anchor keeping me from being swept away. I may not know who or what I am but I know that with certainty."

Claude stared at her with an almost look of wonder. For someone as socially inept as Haelin she could be surprisingly eloquent when she chose to be. "Haelin…"

"Please. If only for tonight make me forget the chaos. Make me forget the world until only you and I remain. Make me believe I'm human." Claude didn't answer her plea with words. Instead he pulled her forward to straddle his lap and kissed her again.

_'If only for tonight…'_ Repeated in his head as he shifted them back in to their previous position. _'If only for tonight…'_ Damn the Church and Damn the consequences! _'If only for tonight…'_

"If tonight is all we have then we better make the most of it." He murmured against her smooth curve of her neck kissing it softly as his hand slid back under her shirt. For a night she was his and he was hers. If only for a night…

_**And there you have it folks! I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I had fun writing it. And who knows I may even write more. It's certainly a possibility.**_


End file.
